The Two Year Roller Coaster Ride
by ange1banange1
Summary: After the Promised Day, Ed and Al return to the Rockbell house, and stay for two years until they leave again. But what happened during those two years? Serious EdxWinry.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: FMA isn't mine. I would if I could, but I can't, so I don't. Get it?**

**Summary: After the Promised Day, Ed and Al return to the Rockbell house, and stay for two years until they leave again. But what happened during those two years?**

Winry had been waiting for a long time. A painfully long time. She spent her time worrying over him, most likely. Every day she had to bite back her tears and push through until the new day appeared. He was reckless, she would always tell him, trying to give him a sign that she didn't want to worry about him all the time. She wanted him out of harm's way. She wanted him to be safe and not have to see him practically dragging himself back to her. "Sorry, but I broke the automail again." The automail. Who cares about the automail? She wanted him to come home, in good condition. She kept up appearances, to avoid him figuring out the truth.

She would involuntarily glance out the window, hopping she would see him. She dreamed of him coming home with a smile on his face. Only when she woke up did she realize what a long shot it was.

"Winry," Pinako called from her room upstairs, "can you help me up here?"

"Be right up, Granny." Winry hissed when she burned her fingers on the soup she had been preparing for her grandmother. The old woman had been under the weather for a couple of days now. Winry was worried it was that time. So she did all she could to help her relax. This, as all people know, has the opposite effect on the person helping.

"Here's some soup. What do you need help with." Her eyes flew between the window and granny's desk, which was covered with automail parts and new equipment. But after a few flicks of her eyes, she felt… something was off. She looked out the window and stopped breathing.

"It's this part, here. Winry, look at this… Winry? Winry, what are you looking at out there?" the woman sighed heavily. "I highly doubt they would come home this early after the 'Promised Day'. They've got to have lots of work to do."

"Granny."

"But of course, this 'work' is probably the most reckless action you could imagine."

"Granny."

"Those bums won't be back for a good while, I promise you."

"Granny! They're here!" Winry bolted down the stairs and burst through the front door. And sure enough, there those boys were. Al was limping down the road with a crutch but still he had a body. Ed, beside him, looked perfectly bloodless, clean, and all around okay. Something in her throat caught, but still, tears did not fall. They hadn't seen her yet. She was frozen in the doorway at first. No matter how much she wanted to move and run to them, she just couldn't. she stood there for a good number of minutes until finally, they looked up and saw her, especially Edward. He saw her straight through. He couldn't breathe for a second, and he felt it was the realization that he was home, and home for good. It was her. She was home. His home.

"We're home, Winry." Al awkwardly broke the silence. She freed herself from the ice of the doorway and ran to them. Or, more like, ran _into_ them. She would later regret it but she knocked both of them to the ground in a hug.

"Welcome home, dummies."


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry it's been so long everybody! ("Anybody" would probably be the better word.) This sometimes happens to me when I start something I don't have the full confidence to finish. It wasn't until 11pm Monday night that I got a comment from a reader saying I should continue. *sniff sniff* THANKS HEACHAN!**

**Disclaimer: FMA isn't mine.**

Al was out cold by the time his body hit the couch. His hair was shorter, not like Ed's. she remembered his eyes were just as gold as they were when he was little. She was beginning to miss his eyes. He was skinny from all those years outside the gate. She would have to make him some dinner, and then, that apple pie she promised him. Hearing him snoring softly made Winry smile out of her thoughts.

She turned around to see Ed. He was so much taller than his was when this long, hard journey started. It was almost funny. But she wouldn't mention it now. Al needed his rest. He'd been awake for five years. Ed's eyes were on her, probably since Al got inside the house. His gaze was soft and content. And Winry stared right back. Both were extremely stubborn so neither looked away.

"Ed?" she whispered. He smiled sweetly and gestured for her to follow him. Outside on the porch, he stopped and turned to her. A long silence ensued. He was looking over every angle of her face and tried to remember it. She had become very different in his eyes since the last time he came home. Her hair was longer, sleeker. Her eyes seemed so much more of a deeper blue. It was a shade he quickly grew accustomed to. Winry, herself, was doing the same thing. Looking him over; attempting to remember every detail that had changed since they last saw each other. His eyes were different – they were a sort of gold that she had never seen before. They were almost liquid-like, smooth, and enticing. He really had grown up.

Suddenly, his gaze shifted downward to his arm – the automail arm. Oh god, here it comes. She knew it would be broken almost beyond repair and that was the only reason they came back this quick. She winced a bit at the image in her mind: pieces hanging off, just barely attached, bolts missing, or maybe it was shattered completely and she would have to construct a whole new arm. The worst that could ever happen was just seconds away from being revealed.

"Oh, god, Ed," she looked away with a sigh, anticipating the extent of the damage.

"Winry, just look," he said. She hesitated, but turned her head back to the arm.

Flesh. No metal plates. No bolts. Nothing. It was only skin. His hand stuck out of his coat – a real hand. She brought her hand to her mouth while her other hand steadily reached for Ed's. It was warm, blood flowing through it. Bones. Her fingers painted a slow road up his arm, pushing up his coat sleeve as she ascended. When it was apparent that his sleeve wouldn't let her go further than his elbow, she tugged at the coat all together. Ed, getting the hint, took it off, a blush tinting his cheeks. Winry opened his button-up shirt and saw the scars on his shoulder. They were as pink as they had always been but instead of seeing a slice of metal, she saw an actual shoulder and arm. She suddenly couldn't take it anymore – she wrapped her arms around his broad chest. Her eyes were tearing up again, even though she didn't want to cry. She did it too much when she greeted them home.

He didn't hesitate long before he hugged her back, just as tightly, if not tighter. She could feel that he missed her a lot. She could feel his cheek on her temple and his hot breath on her ear. She was happier than happy. She couldn't be more happy to have him in her arms again. "I was worried, Ed."

"I know you were. And I'm sorry I had to put you through that."

"You're apologizing?" she teased. "So out of character."

"I've been thinking about this since the war ended." Winry couldn't help but feel a slight twinge in her heart when he said "war."

"Ed," she said. "Don't ever be in a war again." His fingers brushed through her hair, holding her closer to him. This little gesture brought pricking tears to her eyes.

"I promise." He said, and she believed him. He was never one to break a promise. She trusted that he would respect his promise and keep it until the end of eternity. Just like he kept his promise to Al of restoring his body.

"Edward Elric." Granny was smirking from the doorway. Ed impulsively pulled away from Winry with his face pink. She saw. _I'm doomed._ He thought. "It's about time you cleaned up your messes. Looks like your height has improved, too!" Here we go.

"Of course it has! But you're still an old hag!"

"Edward! Cut it out!" Winry reached for her favorite wrench, tucked in her back pocket. Ed saw this and backed away scared.

"No no no no no no!" he stuttered. "I just got home! Cut me some slack!"

"Quiet! You'll wake Al." Pinako hissed. That silenced the great alchemist, but couldn't stop the defeated groan from leaving his lips. It was then that he remembered how tired he was. His eyelids wavered until finally, Winry noticed.

"Come on, Ed. You look like you need some rest." She picked up his discarded coat from the bench and gently tugged at his shirt sleeve, urging him to follow her. He would gladly follow her anywhere. But no one knew that but him. She led him up the stairs to his room at the end of the hall – the room he and Al would usually reside during his journeys of the past. Inside he slowly ghosted toward the bed, while Winry draped his coat on a hanger behind the door. She rushed to his side when she realized he was practically sleepwalking. She peeled the covers back, sitting Ed down, his eyes finally closed. She pried his boots off with little effort, then tucked him in, safe and sound.

His sleeping face was… irresistible. Winry couldn't help but stay by his bedside to watch him. She carefully brushed his bangs away from his eyes. Her fingers took control, trailing down from his temple to his chin. She brushed the back of her fingers across his cheek, and felt the tiny cuts and scars of the past few years of recklessness. Of missing him. Of worrying over him. Of falling in love with him deeper and deeper.


End file.
